Help bolting a compressor to the floor.

[Scoobis]

I finally got myself a real compressor A 60 Gal Campbell Hausfeld vt6195, and I am looking for advice on setting it up and also have questions about securing it down.

The manual says i should bolt it to the floor, and that makes sense to me though i am open to alternatives to drilling holes in my floor.
The tank came with isolators that look like this

Should i use these isolators or get other ones, and what kind of concrete anchors should I use. Can you avoid mounting it to the floor?
any other recommendations or things i should read/know about or that I can be pointed to would be appreciated. I will use it for general air tools and for a media blast cabinet that calls for ~10cfm.

 

[Lucid Moments]

Mine is not bolted down. Just sits on some of these.

 

[finn]

I suspect the requirement to bolt it to the floor is strictly to prevent personal injuries if you accidentally hit it and it tips over.

I have never bolted my compressors Dow. One is an 80 gallon IR and the other is a similarly sized Champion.

Isolators on the feet, or, in my case, hockey pucks, and they stay put.

Perhaps consider a high mounted tether fastened to the wall to err on the side of caution. I have radiant tubes in my floor, and shy away from drilling holes unless absolutely necessary.

 

[toolmanmark]

Try it first with out bolting down with the isolaters that came with it.
My 80 gallon vertical does not move. I have 2 peices of 1/4" thick rubber belting under each leg.

 

[dr_clyde]

You don’t need to fasten it to the floor. Never seen one fastened, actually.

 

[Flat Thunder Channel]

I have seen people bolt them to or leave them bolted to the 4x4 boards they are typically shipped on. I would bolt it to some longer 4x4 timbers for added stability or purchase a large rectangular chunk of steel to mount it on. Main area of concern is not letting it tip over and injure someone.

 

[Legion Prime]

The one out in my garage is at least that size and it's just bolted to a pair of 4x4s. Never had a problem with wobbling or walking. Added bonus is clearance to get my hand under there to work the drain.

 

[Burn1]

I finally got myself a real compressor A 60 Gal Campbell Hausfeld vt6195, and I am looking for advice on setting it up and also have questions about securing it down.

The manual says i should bolt it to the floor, and that makes sense to me though i am open to alternatives to drilling holes in my floor.
The tank came with isolators that look like this

Should i use these isolators or get other ones, and what kind of concrete anchors should I use. Can you avoid mounting it to the floor?
any other recommendations or things i should read/know about or that I can be pointed to would be appreciated. I will use it for general air tools and for a media blast cabinet that calls for ~10cfm.

Looks like your working with a single-stage compressor. Make sure you are pulling the moisture out of the air if using for blast media/ cabinet duties. It will work, but she will be working hard to keep up depending on your duty cycle/ how long your blasting in a given stretch.

 

[Lwel9226]

My 80 gal. 5 horse is still bolted to the pallet it came on.... Has not moved a bit in 7 or 8 years....

LynnW

 

[didit]

Mine is still bolted to the 2x8 skids it was on when I bought it in 1984 but it is horizontal. The 2x8s set on 1/2 thick slabs of live rubber.

With an upright having less stability I would use the isolators they provided and anchor them into the concrete. Holes in the concrete wouldn't bother me a bit. Your compressor will likely remain where you place it for a very long time.

or

Lag a few beefy stabilizer brackets into the wall without holes in the concrete. I would still use the isolators no matter the method you choose. Good luck!

 

[Scoobis]

...Perhaps consider a high mounted tether fastened to the wall to err on the side of caution. I have radiant tubes in my floor, and shy away from drilling holes unless absolutely necessary.

I like that idea

 

[Scoobis]

Looks like your working with a single-stage compressor. Make sure you are pulling the moisture out of the air if using for blast media/ cabinet duties. It will work, but she will be working hard to keep up depending on your duty cycle/ how long your blasting in a given stretch.

Thanks

What i am considering is a setup like this https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in...r-68232.html?_br_psugg_q=air+filter+regulator right at the media blaster Cabinet.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions that i might not get 100% duty cycle out of the media blaster. but that's ok, I know at 10.2 cfm @ 90 psi, id be on the edge of what was needed for a small harbor right desktop media blaster.

I may convert it to gravity feed which has an added benefit of lowering the pressure requirements, and id assume the CFM needed.

 

[Citation]

When we put an 80 gallon compressor in my brother's garage we did a wall tether. His doesn't walk so tipping was the only concern. Given the small footprint of that compressor it's good for peace of mind.

 

[Citation]

Also, you can probably reduce the nose levels when running if you change out the air filter. I had a similar filter housing on my larger compressor. I changed it to the current CH "automotive" style air filter housing (looks like an old on top of the carb type). Then add about 2' of rubber hose to the intake. Significant noise reduction for under $20.

 

[Scoobis]

I have seen people bolt them to or leave them bolted to the 4x4 boards they are typically shipped on. I would bolt it to some longer 4x4 timbers for added stability or purchase a large rectangular chunk of steel to mount it on. Main area of concern is not letting it tip over and injure someone.

I like the steel plate ideal.

This model has 3 legs, so not so sure about using 4x4's

 

[M-technik-3]

Hammer Drill then epoxy the studs in wait till it cures bolt down. If I had a big unit like that, It would be a closet for some noise deadening

 

[DaveInHouston]

I drilled into the concrete, used wedgelok anchor bolts and set mine on isolation pads I bought on Amazon. Works great.

 

[sz0k30]

You don't need to bolt it to the floor. My 60 gal sits on the pallet it came on, but I put isolators between the legs & the pallet. I'd guess probably 90% of the home shop compressors aren't bolted to the floor.

 

[Crabman]

My 80 gal. 5 horse is still bolted to the pallet it came on.... Has not moved a bit in 7 or 8 years....

x2

over 20 years

 

[TonyJ]

I’m going to be doing the square sheet metal idea myself. But I have allot more compressor to worry about if it falls over. I have a wood floor so I’m making a plate 36”x36” and putting 1” of rubber mat under the whole thing and I’ll use the isolation feet like earlier posted on the 3 legs of the tank and bolt them down to the steel plate. I’ll also put chains from the wall to the tank also. Saylor Beall 707 and a single phase 10hp will likely kill someone or go thru the floor if it falls over


Tony

 

[Flat Thunder Channel]

I can source steel plate cut to my desired profile and blanchard ground on the cheap. We source it from a preferred vendor at work and they deliver! The price fluctuates with steel prices, but sometimes they are so competitive it becomes questionable how they manage to make money. I plan to do this for my mini mill stand; purchase a large steel ground plate and bolt the stand to it. Hardest part is machining the threaded holes in the plate. Good news! It gives me an excuse to purchase a mag drill when the time arises.

I'll post a video of the process if I ever get caught up on my other projects! Also plan to convert the mill to CNC in the future.

Check out my YouTube channel:

 

[dffay]

If you’d really like to fasten it to the floor and mute the vibration, explore ‘sandwich mount.’
They are decidedly industrial and may be what you’re after.

 

[Scoobis]

i think tipping over is what concerns me, right now i have it sitting between my two garage doors. i could tether it but at the same time, it is probably not the safest location.

 

[FTG-05]

I have seen people bolt them to or leave them bolted to the 4x4 boards they are typically shipped on. I would bolt it to some longer 4x4 timbers for added stability or purchase a large rectangular chunk of steel to mount it on. Main area of concern is not letting it tip over and injure someone.

This is what I did with mine after reading here on bolting one down. I also used some plumbers "tape" to secure it to the wall for extra stability.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

Hey guys...FYI,

Bolting your compressor down is not just for stability, but also to eliminate any undue stresses on the receiver and to level the pump mounting platform which is important for pump lubrication.
I have installed a few compressors and it doesn't take THAT much time to do it right. I use wedge anchors with single center hole isolators along with various thickness shims cut to the same dimensions as the isolators. I have found that it is much easier to drill accurate mounting holes if you first make a drilling template. I will cut a single piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, large enough that all mounting feet sit on it, then use a transfer punch to mark the mounting holes on the template. I also will place a line on the template inline with the rear of the belt guard to use when measuring for correct placement off the wall. Next, I drill the template itself, then place the template where I want the compressor to be located. Standing on the template, I roto-hammer the first hole, clean it out, install the wedge anchor, place the template on the bolt, check for correct positioning then drill the 2nd hole. Again, clean the hole and install the 2nd anchor, replace the template and drill the remaining 1 or 2 holes, again clean and install remaining anchors.
Next, I place the isolators on the anchors and level across each direction and shim where necessary until level in all directions.
Next, I sit the compressor in place and using nylock nuts, run them down until they contact the foot, then back them off a half turn. That's it.
Hint: I cut a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" black pipe to the length that I want the wedge anchors above the concrete, then slip it over the anchors before I drive them so I don't unintentionally drive them in to far. I also prefer to drill completely through the slab as it makes it easier to hide the anchors in the event that the compressor is removed...simply drive the anchor below the slab line and patch the holes. Truth be known...it probably took me longer to type this than it would have taken to actually do the job!

 

[allinon72]

It boils down to 2 things - stability and vibration dampening. Where I work (commercial setting 200gal compressors) we use vibration dampening, adjustable foot pads. Is this necessary in a home garage? Probably not but I don't think it would hurt. A lot of people use hockey pucks. Either way, your compressor is not going to fall over.

Seems that bolting straight to concrete would create extra reverberation in the area, but I've never tried it so perhaps someone else can chime in.

 

[TonyJ]

Only reason I’m taking the extra steps to make a larger plate to mount my upright to is because just my pump and motor is right at 500lbs and all that weight at right at 5 1/2 -6ft above the floor and only having the 3 legs has me a little bit concerned about tip over. As for the smaller compressors like your deltas, kobalts, dewalts among many others they don’t have the sheer amount of weight that high up in the air so on all of those I don’t really see any issues with not going thru the extreme of bolting them down


Tony

 

[allinon72]

Only reason I’m taking the extra steps to make a larger plate to mount my upright to is because just my pump and motor is right at 500lbs and all that weight at right at 5 1/2 -6ft above the floor and only having the 3 legs has me a little bit concerned about tip over. As for the smaller compressors like your deltas, kobalts, dewalts among many others they don’t have the sheer amount of weight that high up in the air so on all of those I don’t really see any issues with not going thru the extreme of bolting them down


Tony

Understand your concern, but it would take a significant external side force to tip the compressor over even at that height.

 

[TonyJ]

Understand your concern, but it would take a significant external side force to tip the compressor over even at that height.

With a normal setup your right.


Tony

 

[MFortie]

Mine would wander a little when running (Quincy QT-54), so I bought some vibration pads from Northern Tool:

(https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200658811_200658811)

and used 1/2" anchors in my floor. No more 'wandering'...

 

[ZRX61]

My 60 gal is bolted to the slab with Red Heads. Seismic area, I've seen what happens when one gets thrown across a hangar by a quake...

 

[Rsharp66]

I bolted my 60 gal vertical V4 down because it is very top heavy.
I put threaded anchors in the floor then screwed all-thread down through rubber pads and big washers on top and bottom of the feet. The concept of the studs was so I can remove them and have smooth floor if I need to slide it out. Got that idea from here.

 

[DaveInHouston]

What Tool Tyrant said. Spot on.